County Approves Expedited Authority for Jail Construction Decisions to Prevent Delays

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Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - The County Board of Commissioners has authorized its commissioner liaison to the jail project, along with the board chair, to approve minor design and construction provisionally changes up to $100,000 to prevent work interruptions on the new jail facility.

The decision was prompted by an immediate, unanticipated need for additional hydrant valves at the construction site, which required an action that could not wait for the next scheduled commission meeting.

The county's owner's representative, Dick Strassburg of Tegra, brought the issue forward. Strassburg explained that the City of Watertown required the additional valves, and immediate action was necessary to keep construction on schedule. Because the need was discovered suddenly, the exact cost was unknown but estimated to be under $10,000.

"If we wait till a commission meeting... we could lose time on the project, which will cost the project money," Strassburg stated. He noted that on large projects, it is typical to have an authorized individual to approve small, routine changes that keep construction moving.

The commissioners first addressed the immediate issue, voting to approve the construction directive for the hydrant valves.

Following that, the commissioners addressed the broader policy, approving a motion to authorize the commissioner liaison, Lee Gabel, to approve future design and construction changes provisionally. Commissioner Chairman Troy VanDusen was named as the alternate with the same authority.

The new authority includes:

·        Approving immediate, necessary changes when the cost is not yet finalized, with a price negotiated after the fact.

·        Moving money from the construction contingency fund to a line item for minor changes that do not change the guaranteed maximum price (GMP).

·        Approving routine, minor changes that are drawn from the owner contingency.

The decision-making authority for the commissioner liaison and the board chair is capped at $100,000. Any proposed changes exceeding this amount, or those deemed significant, must still be brought before the full Board of Commissioners for approval. Strassburg noted several other similar communities that have implemented the same process.

The Commissioners voted to formally adopt this authority immediately, with plans to formalize the action through a resolution at their next scheduled meeting. Commissioner Gabel is required to keep the whole board updated on these matters.